THE BYSTANDER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIX, Issue 3009, 22 December 1896, Page 4

THE BYSTANDER.

The Japs are determined to grow their

THE JAI’S SUGAR GROWING.

own sugar. In this connect! m the British Trade Journal says;—“Wo have received a visit- from the principal

superintendent of a Sugar liefining Company in Japan, who is now on a visit to this country for the purpose of purchasing machinery, both for crushing and refining. The company which this Japanese gentleman represents is about to extend the cultivation of sugarcane in Formosa, and to start operations in that island. The raw sugar Will be exported to Tokio, where there is already a refinery, Which is noW abddt to bo enlarged. At present it obtains its supplies of the raw material from Java, but it is anticipated that, as the cultivation of sugar is developed in Formosa, a much better product will bo obtainable. We shall be pleased to put any of our readers who are interested in sugar machinery in communication with 6ur visitor.”

The following is' a facetious Ameri-

AN AMERICAN SKIT.

can view of the pa> cautions taken to protect the Czar: —" Special precautions are being taken to protect the person of the Czar, on

his forthcoming Visit to this groat metropolis. A special forcio of 1000 Irish police are to be uniformed in sheet iron, and spread along the Strand to break the force of the bombs oast at his Imperial Majesty during his pilgrimage to Marlborough House. All the Nihilist* in town are to bo muzzled and then fed With baked potatoes on pitchforks until rendered harmless by stonlac'i‘dchO',j after Which Alexander -Wilt debtor to them a typewritten address on reforms in Russia, entitled ‘ It’s Knonty, but it’s Nice.’ The Eniee of Wales, in an asbestos uniform, wiiraEiake hands with himself at a distance of forty yards from his illustrious guest, and then invito him in to dinner. During the meal the Emperor’s nerve will bo fortified with [draughts of vodki, diluted with carbolic acid, while trained attendants will explode firecrackers in his ears at intervals ill order to remind him of home. Duriug his stay with the Prince, Alexander will sleep in a brass coffin with walls sft thick, which should ensure him safe and dreamless slumber, but which will enable his host to ship him homo safely in case of accident. In case Constantinople is bombarded before the Czar gets away, his Majesty will bo looked up at Bow Street, and bastinadoed with bodslats every day until the Sultan’s raiment has been satisfactorily divided among the nations fairly entitled to it.”

Tub other day, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Queen’s

CANADIAN LOYALTY.

I accession, the Canadian As- . seulbly burst into song While the HoUso Was actually

engaged in business. The scene, as pictured in the Montreal Star, is worth noting, for it Well illustrates the keen enthusiasm with Which Liberals, as well as Conservatives; in .Canada; think Of thoil 1 Queen i—“ Thq motion to go into Supply was then carried. And now the Liberals burst into a storm, of wild applause, their singers, led by Mr Maxwell, struck up ‘ God Save the Queen,’ and they, made thp old chamber ring. Members rose from their seats , and began waving their hats ; and, as they reached the end of the anthem, they climbed ill) a fid stdod on their chairs attd dorks and began ohperxng. It Was a perfect whirlwind of enthusiastic exultation; , Conservatives, too, rose to their feet. ; They had joined in the singing, and flow, as, the Liberal oheer died away,, they set up a .shout—not so loud or so long as that ,pf their apponents, but just as hearty and enthusiastic.”

Another story is told of the new Archbishop of Canterbury. A

NOT AN IMPARTIAL CRITIC.

young man called on him previous to being accepted as a candidate for holy orders.

The young man was naked to go to the other end of the room—a largo one—and road aloud from tho Bible. He finished tho set passage; Bishop Temple called out abruptly, )'o yoU think yoti can read WeJIP, v No answer for a little, and then', “ I have been told so.” “ Are you engaged ?” No answer, and then, ’• Yes.” "Did she tell you you could road well?” “Yes.” “Well, don’t believe her,” was the reply.

The true " Little Englander,’ 1 is as eager to surtondertreaty rights in

THE “ LITTLE ENGLANCEB.”*

Europe as he is to repudiate treaty obligations in the Transvaal. He jauntily recommends the shooting of

unarmed prisoners in South Africa, and he sneers at the idea of running any danger for tho protection of unarmed Armenians from massaero. One of these Little Englanders asked. derisively a few days ago Whether British Working men woro ready to see the price of tea, tobacco and beer raised by a war with Turkey. "Probably," lie said, “ ninety-nine in a hundred British working men Would rather see the whole Armenian race in Jericho.” This is the august spirit of the new Imperialism.—English paper.

I?jie Ddily (ghroiliUe makes the following pathetic allusion to a death in

TitE Bdir ■ I’ROdbElt;

camp i—“ Is it the cooisg of doves that Wakes me from dreamland to the stern re-

ality of a scrubby blanket and the cold, night air of the upland veldt P A plaidtilre; continuous* moan, moan, reminds'ine that I ani at one of our outpost forts beypiid Bulilwayo, where my Dedrdom is under the lei of the sail which forms the wall of the hospital. And through the flimsy screen there wells the moan of a man who is dying. At last the weary wailing slowly sobs itself away, and the suffering of another mortal is ended. He is at peace. It is only another podr trooper gone. ■ Three years ago he was costing his father so much a year at Eton ; he was in the eleven, too, and all for this,”

It was at the ticket office of ,an important fcallftdy gldiloh in the .mother

“THANK' YOU, MY FRIEND!”

country. The train would start in less than five minutes, ” and several people were wait-

ing anxiously and impatiently for a chance of getting their tickets and securing seats. Among the would-be passengers was a-Bishop and a commercial traveller, both of whom were getting practical experience of some of the torments endured by Tantalus. A very stout, loudvoiced woman had monopolised the window; and, although she had received her ticket, she was lasting precious time by asking such exasperating questions as only fatwitted creatures of the fair sex can be credited with. How far was this station from that? How long would the train stop ? Where could she get her parcels ? What sort of a —--Just here the exasperated commercial traveller could stand the ordeal no longer, and said with the emphasis of a judge dealing with the clearest evidence, “ Damn that woman." The Bishop turned round at once —it only wanted two minutes to the time of starting —and, putting his hand on the drummer’s shoulder, remarked, “Thank you,, my friend. There are occasions when the services of an intelligent layman are indispensable.”

The mysterlous'disappearances from Sydney which are now exorcising the

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES.

wits of the detectives in New South W ales takes us back, says a writer in the Queenslander, to the days of Nioholls and

Lester. These two atrocious .scoundrels followed precisely the same game which appetfrs to have been adopted in this instance. They inveigled people by specious advertisements, and then took them away to a handy spot—the harbour, for instance—and executed their, mission of robbery and murder. At last a victim was despatched whose belongings floated up into the ken of the police? and as inquiries were made it became evident that an abominable crime, had "been committed under the very windows of citizens whose houses overlooked Port- Jackson at the Parramatta River end. A young man who answered an advertisement for a tutor was taken out in an open boat and done to death; but the murderers were not sufficiently careful with the .miserable launder—an old watch and a few coins, and Nemesis overtook them at a bound. The chain of evidence was soon complete.

A curious illustration of the direct effect

PRACTICAL REPENTANCE.

of a powerful sermon cn a mind open to receive favourable influences has come under our (Armidalo Express) notice. On a recent Sunday night

Major Glover, of the Salvation Army, preached a sermon in the City Temple on « Repentance/* and took occasion in the course of his remarks to dwell on the point of restitution. A day or two afterwards he received the following letter from one of his congregation: —“Major Glover. Dear s i r> Enclosed you will find -£i. About 18 or *l9 years ago I found a purse with £S 8s 4d. and spent it as soon as I found it. And when I had spent it I heard of the owner, but was unable to pay it back. So now, dear sir, I want you to go Burwood, and

find there a woman by the name of Mrs Richard Pike. She lives in Burwbod. Her husband is still alive. When you find her ask her if ever sho lost a purse with -til 8i •Id. However, under -C3 10s. The balance will pay you for your trouble. You are one of the best men I know to trust to do tbo business, and when you have done it please put it through your Ifur Cry. God bless you.” After a search Major Glover found the woman, and restored to her the amount which she hud lost so long ago. A singular circumstance in connection with the case is that at the time of the Major a visit the woman did not have a penny in the house.

It will be fiews to niaiiy to )oarh that the Prince of iVales is it very

I’t.R.ll, AS SIIOE- , MAKER.

export shoemaker. A contributor to the November IPoman at Ho me supplies the

information, adding that this was a particular handicraft • which tho the Prince chose to loam when a boy, tho Queen and Prince Consort having made it a rule that each of the princes should receive a thoroughly practical training in some trade. They were allowed to choose the one which they liked best. It is said that tho Prince has worn shoos of his own make which were the onVv of oVory gentleman who saw them, and that ho did not forget to name tile milker. His own ttfiblvlbdgb dates him an export judge of other people’s work, and ho will at once detect slipshod or interiorly made goods, should such be sent to him.

TttK Melbourne Cup dreamers are coming forward a little late in the

jtEnitottßKß .Sty wlrajls.

day, A. gentleman In l a ill - worth ays the Sydney Ninos) wlio sent for , two tickets in

, , Tattersall’s No. -I sweep on itUe Melbourne Cup, but who was too lato to obtain them, and was consequently allottad two tickets in tho Resell! 11 Handicap, to be run on tho Ihi h December, lias just bad a peculiar experience. On Sdndny night ho dreamt that ho won a largo prize in tho sweep with one of his tickets, tho number of winch ho also dreamt and'distinctly remembered afterwards. On referring to the tickets, which ho had previously only glanced at, put away and forgotten, ho found that tbo number which he dreamt corresponded with tho number of one of his two tickets. Tho sequel to the dream will bo reported after the race is run.